The changing world (139) Dec 85 - Jan 86

Dec 1st Steve preached morning, me evening.
I do not know the date but by now I had moved to Gateway Supermarket, Willesden Green. The same firm and once again a new pharmacy in a new store. But this one never did much dispensing. In fact it did less in a month than I did in a day at later shops. My two memories are of the customer with psychiatric problems who insisted on Evans brand diazepam and later of the store detective. I could never understand the supermarket policy of a highly visible uniformed security man. Why not use CCTV to detect the shoplifters? The old store detective was brilliant. Fist of all a woman of pensioner age was never recognised as a detective. She had a sixth sense for thieves. My only criticism was she might let off the poor customer with a hard luck story but woe betide any well to do person she caught. She was not present the Saturdays when gangs of black youths steamed the store taking whatever they want d brazenly. Most theft was likely to be back door fraud. Store staff colluding with delivery drivers saying they had taken delivery when they had not and the driver selling the goods elsewhere. Our major theft though was done by the chief cashier.
8th        Steve preached.
9th        Congregational meeting.
10th      Deb school carols. IPC barn dance.
15th      Joe preached.
17th      Jonathan's school carols at Twyford.
19th      Lunts to dinner. I had preached at their wedding, the first one I attended where the reception . Barnes, Seabers with Jane also Roger and Anna to dinner . Roger and Anna were a cohabiting couple who attended IPC. They would tend not to stay in the service but leave for a cigarette. Roger often asked for diaconal help.was champagne and canapés.
22nd     IPC carol service.
25th      Steve preached.
26th     Overends visited.
29th      Steve preached. morning, me evening
31st      Games and watch night service..
Jan 1st  To Braithwaites
4th        Discoverers reunion party.
5th       Steve preached.
7th       Session day at Old Jordans.
12th      Steve preached IPC. I met Stuart Ferguson, a Presbyterian monk no less. He was in an ecumenical monastery house in Acton, an order founded by an evangelical RC American. Doubting he was really a monk I asked if he paid the community charge as members of religious orders were exempt. Yes he was. Later I had the founder of his order preach at IPC. I told no-one he was RC.It was never discovered as he was biblical. I was criticised for having Rushdoony preach  and even I was unhappy with the man who took on RR's Chalcedon mantle when he preached at Easter but not on resurrection.
19th     Steve preached. Announced Derrick's suspension from the Lord's Table.
21st      Pharmaceutical Society branch meeting.
25th     Stocktaking.
26th     Elliott preached. Daniel Makut to lunch.
27th     St Saviours open afternoon and consultation evening. Deb was in her second term and finding it hard. She would become a school refuser due to her as yet undiagnosed dyslexia.